Something(s) I'm Looking Forward To

Remember that "30 days of blogging" list I was working on? This is day 10:

• Getting my current house packed up.
• Receiving and signing the lease for the new rental.
• Unpacking.
• Going to Ikea.
• Settling in so I can start crafting more.
• Exploring a new city.
• Visiting family.
• My first concert (Sara Bareilles & Joshua Radin).
• Harry Potter.
• The birth of my dearest friend's new baby boy.
• Having an address to mail things to. ;)
• Getting to know my fellow bloggers.

What are somethings you're looking forward to?

I Heart This! Oregon Coast

Jeezy creezy. The universe does not want me to post this. First the power was out at La Casa de Anderson, then blogger was being all sorts of snarky, and now my internet is throwing a fit because of the lack of electricity. It's been a weird week. 

The hubs treated our little family (including my mom) to a weekend trip to the coast for Mother's Day. If you've never been you should put it on your bucket list. It's quite lovely. 

Oregon Coast:

Some fun stuff:

 

Our cute rental:

That's all I have for today. In the last 48 hours we've received some really exciting news and some not so fun news. Once I get all my thoughts organized I'll be back with bells on. ;) I hope everyone has a great weekend! Happy Friday! <3

Handmade Monday: Momma's Day Edition

A little over a decade ago I started making my momma gifts for Mother's Day, and the tradition has carried over into my own little family unit. Since the tot is only two the hubs has been doing the majority of the work thus far and she "helps". Here's what a received this year ...

Card:

Charms (& the back of the card):

It says, "I've got some mad photoshop skills."

Sorry this post is almost late. We just returned from our blissful little beach getaway (which I'll probably be blogging about later).<3

A Lovely Little Video

Even though my heart breaks a bit toward the end, I still think this video is quite pretty.

TIJI "COLOUR" HD from AKAMA on Vimeo.

Tomorrow we're off on a little mini-break to the Oregon coast. This will be the first time ELA sees the ocean, and I'm super excited! I hope everyone has a great weekend, and Happy Mother's Day! See ya Monday! <3

Something(s) I Miss

This is Day 9:

There is a small handful of people at the top of this list, but I don't want this blog to become so sentimental it's not fun to read. Besides, there are tons of other things that deserve some attention too.

I miss Pudding Pops.

A few years ago I was super excited to stumble across these in a local Safeway. I loved them when I was a kid and had forgotten all about them. Unfortunately they've disappeared from there as well. If you know where I can find them please let me know.

I miss long road trips.

As I mentioned earlier this week, we've spent a lot of time in our car lately, but each time our destination has been less than five hours away. I miss the kind of road trips I used to take with my family. The kind where you spend multiple days in the car surrounded by pillows, blankets, and snacks. The kind where you just stop at every dinky attraction that catches your eye and pick where to end the day at random. I would love to simply drive to Texas for our annual Austin visit, but with gas prices as high as they are now this is probably the most expensive way to travel.

I miss the original Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Ponies, and Care Bears.

Seriously. These "new" versions are ridiculous. Not even my tot wants to watch them.

I miss chalkboards in classrooms and snail mail letters.

Don't get me wrong, I love technology. I'm currently blogging from my couch and checking FB on my phone, while Netflix is playing in the background. Okay, I'm not actually neglecting my daughter that much but you get the idea. I am saturated in technology. I really do mean it when I say I love it. Even so, I still feel a little sad knowing our children will never run their fingers through the chalk dust at the blackboard or lick a stamp. The more the world changes the more I find myself having those "when I was your age" moments.

Getting Back On Track & Short-term Goals

Jeezy creezy! The last two weeks have been crazy. I feel like we were in constant motion. Everything that has been simmering came to a boil all at once, and we did our best not to let anything burn (except maybe ourselves). We endured ants, exterminators, emergency vet visits, heart wrenching goodbyes, and multiple days in the car. Simultaneously we enjoyed birthday surprises (with lots of birthday cake), precious quality time with loved ones, a family bike ride through the trees, the Oregon Zoo, dinner with dear friends, and the thrilling glimpse of opportunity. It was chaotic, but definitely time well spent.

Now, after sleeping for the majority of the last three days, I feel ready to return to the land of the living and my wee little blog. I have a few ideas brewing, but for now I'll return to our regularly scheduled program (aka the 30 days) with short-term goals.

This is Day 8:

• Get the songs from Tangled out of my head. Seriously.
• Tell friends and family about this blog because so far I've been too chicken.
• Lose weight. (I have a lot to get rid of, so this is both a short and long-term goal.)
• Make the tot an Easter basket.
• Work on list of crafts!!
• Put together boxes for thredup.com.
• Work on the backyard.
• Help the hubs find a job, find a place to live, and move to Portland.
• Get my hands on more spice tea from Republic of Tea.

A Place I've Traveled To

This is Day 4:

Lake Tahoe

Growing up our family vacations were always road trips. My parents took the long way and took their time. As a result, we were able to see Mt. Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, the Corn Palace, Canada, and every dinky roadside attraction between Idaho and Ohio. It was fabulous.

As an adult I have yet to have the finances to go as far as I'd like. I've never made it across the country, let alone overseas. Now, with a family, it's going to take even more money and planning, but have complete faith we'll make it at some point. 

Even though I haven't gone a great distance, I haven't exactly stayed home. Once upon a time I took a cruise to Mexico, I've worked in Yellowstone, and every year we journey to Austin to visit family. Also, my husband and I love road trip/mini-vacations, so we vacate this valley as often as our wallets allow. 

The fact that we're fans of cheap travel came in handy after financing our own wedding. We didn't have much to work with, but we had a car, so we spent an entire week in a little house on top of a mountain near Lake Tahoe. It was amazing, beautiful, and probably the best trip we've been on (yet anyway). Remembering that time, coupled with the photo above, is starting to make me feel like this year we may need to return. Hmmm ...